Extended Producer Responsibility [EPR]

By : Neha Dhyani

Updated : Mar 28, 2022, 8:23

Under the Plastic Waste Management rules of 2016, the Environment Ministry has recently come up with a draft notification regarding the regulation of plastic packaging material.

Extended Producer Responsibility - Overview

The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) refers to the responsibility of the producer of plastic for environment-friendly management of the product throughout its lifecycle. The country introduced the first EPR law in 2011 under the Plastic Waste Rules.

The draft regulates the extended producer responsibility and lays out the quantity of waste to be managed by business owners, importers, and manufacturers generating plastic waste in the country.

Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules

The 2021 Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules were also notified to restrict some single-use plastic items by 2022. Extended Producer Responsibility is a programme under which producers get the physical and financial responsibility of disposing of specific products after production.

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Extended Producer Responsibility – What You Should Know?

The Extended Producer Responsibility basically involves financial encouragement for manufacturers to produce sustainable products by making them accountable for product management through its consumption stage.

The regulation is introduced keeping in mind that producers enjoy the highest control over product design and can better design the products in a way that minimizes harmful effects on the environment. This programme gets the government rid of the burden of managing some products by allowing brands to include the cost of recycling within the product’s price.

Extended Producer Responsibility is carried out through recycling, buying back, or reusing. The new regulation mandates plastic packaging producers to collect all of their produce by 2024 and make sure a minimum of it is recycled and used again.

These producers will be required to make a declaration to the government, through a website, the quantity of plastic they produce in a year. The new rules group plastics into four categories and mandate importers, brand owners, and producers to give details of certificates obtained from registered recyclers.

A centralized online portal will be set up for registering and submitting annual reports. The portal will not only reflect the quantity of plastic material put into the market in the year but also contain details of the audits.

To conclude, the draft for Extended Producer Responsibility along with the prohibition of single-use plastic products taking effect from July 2022 serve as crucial steps for controlling pollution caused due to littered plastic waste in India. The guidelines are aimed at promoting new alternatives to harmful plastics and providing assistance to businesses to take a step towards sustainable packaging material.

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FAQs on Extended Producer Responsibility [EPR]

Q.1. What is an Extended Producer Responsibility Certificate?

The certificate for Extended Producer Responsibility is mandatory for producers and importers for plastic waste management. This certificate gives businesses an advantage over competitors who have used recycled content.

Q.2. Is Extended Producer Responsibility mandatory in India?

According to the latest notification by the Environment Ministry, EPR registration will be mandatory for producers and importers to carry out businesses involving the use of plastic packaging material.

Q.3. According to Extended Producer Responsibility, Which plastics will be banned in India in 2022?

As per the latest EPR rules, the manufacturing of a range of plastic products will be banned from July 2022. These include plastic flags, earbuds with plastic sticks, candy sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, and more.

Q.4. What happens when somebody doesn’t comply with Extended Producer Responsibility?

Non-compliance with the EPR regulation will not invite a fine but environmental compensation will be imposed. Those who cannot meet the annual targets pay a fine.